Today I’m going to share the meal that earned me about 1.2 million brownie points with my husband. 
But first, I got a haircut/color last week and wanted to show you a picture!
It had been 5 months since my last hair appointment. Five months! My roots were absolutely horrible!
Here’s me on Wednesday (the “before”) …
… and here’s me on Friday (the “after!”)
Whew, so much better!
Of course, let’s be honest. I will never, ever be able to style it that well. I swear stylists have magical hair brushes. 
————
OK, so about those brownie points I earned.
I’ve talked on the blog a few times about Brandon’s love for Chipotle.
So this weekend, I decided to recreate a Chipotle dish at home.
On the menu?
A steak burrito bowl with chipotle-lime rice, black beans, lettuce, guacamole, and mild salsa.
(Don’t worry, I ate two of those small bowls, and Brandon ate three. )
Let’s break down the recipe into the individual components …
Salsa (tastes just like Chipotle’s mild salsa)
(made 3-4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 3 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds (mostly) removed, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- little less than ¼ cup lime juice (half a lime)
- 1/2 tsp. salt (start with a little less salt, and adjust based on your taste)
Directions:
- Mix everything together in a bowl. Cover bowl and let sit in fridge for several hours, for the flavors to combine.
Guacamole (This is my own guacamole recipe. I have no idea how close it is to the Chipotle guacamole, but it tastes pretty amazing!)
(Made 3-4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 3 avocados, peeled and mashed up
- 1 tomato, diced
- about 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- couple dashes garlic powder
- about 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Directions:
- In a large bowl, mash the avocado with the salt and lime juice. Then add the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine. Cover bowl and let sit in the fridge until ready to serve.
Steak Marinade
(For only 1 medium steak. Double the recipe, if necessary)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp (maybe a little less) red pepper flake
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- few fresh cilantro leaves torn up
Directions:
- Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Put steak and marinade into a zip lock bag. Toss to coat. Leave in the fridge for several hours.
- When ready to serve, grill steak (or cook it however you’d like!)
Chipotle-Lime Rice
Made 6-8 servings
(Slightly modified from this recipe)
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups white rice *
- 3-4 tbsp. lime juice (add slowly, tasting as you add)
- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (add slowly, tasting as you add)
* Important note: I used regular rice because I couldn’t find Basmati rice like the original recipe recommended. The flavor of my rice was great, but the texture was too mushy. Next time, I will search harder for the Basmati rice!
Directions
- Cook rice using the box’s instructions. After it’s cooked, add lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Mix together.
The final results:
To build our bowls, I started with some rice. Then I added plain (rinsed and drained) black beans, some romaine lettuce, the guacamole, the salsa, and the steak.
Perfection.
Just a tip: Make this dish on a day when you have plenty of time in the morning. That morning, put the steak in the marinade and make the guacamole and salsa. Put everything in the fridge for the day. That night, you’ll just have to make the rice and quickly cook up the steak!
You can also serve this dish with black bean and corn salsa (so good!), shredded cheese, sour cream, and chips. And if you want a vegetarian option, just don’t add the steak! The guacamole and black beans give you plenty of protein, healthy fats, and fiber on their own!
This meal was absolutely delicious. Brandon has already requested that I make the meal when some of his friends come into town next month. So you know it’s got to be good.
Question for ya …
Do you like Chipotle? What do you usually order?
What did you do this weekend?
How often do you get your hair cut and/or colored?
I cannot wait to try this. And that is a great picture you took of yourself with your new hair color/cut! I agree about the magical hair brushes. I can’t ever get mine to look the same, either! I often wait 3+ months between hair appts, which is NOT ideal!
jennifer recently posted..Summer Bucket Playtime Hat
I hope you do try it! Let me know how it turns out if you do!!
Your hair looks great! And I love that you recreated Chipotle!
Laurie @Love, Laugh, Laurie recently posted..Friends-and-Family-Filled Sunday
LOVE Chipotle! I’m a burrito bowl gal : ) We’ve recreated it at home a time or two and been pretty successful, not perfection, but close. Your version looks awesome! Hung out on the boat this weekend, worked a bit and went for a run. I have never in my life had my hair colored/highlighted (gasp, I know, I’m not a normal female!) When I had short hair my hair needed a trim to keep it’s style every 5 weeks, now that I’m growing it out, I honestly haven’t had it cut since February (a trim), and before that it was September. I probably should go and get a bit of style to it as right now it is pretty bad, just blah. I fear if I go in to a salon, I’ll have them chop it off impulsively as I’m really a short haired girl giving long hair a try, swearing I won’t cut it this time. We’ll see. I’ve been known to chop it off on a whim, I’m trying to prove my husband wrong this time – so my stubbornness is saving me LOL.
I saw a pic of you with short hair on facebook, and I was so surprised! I’ve only known you with the longer hair! But either way, you look great. I think it’s awesome that you’ve never had your hair colored. I kind of wish that I had never started in the first place!
Cannot wait to try out this recipe! Love your cut/color.. you look gorgeous girl. I have been telling myself I need to get myself a trim… but so far, no appointment has been made. I’m awful when it comes to getting my hair cut.
*To find out about what I did this weekend, just check my new post
jessie recently posted..A Perfect Sunday
Let me know if you try it! We loved it!
Love you new cut and color…looks gorgeous! This weekend was definitely a recover weekend for us. We got back from Oregon late Friday and spent Saturday and Sunday unpacking, going through mail and trying to convince ourselves that we would be ready when Monday arrived:)
kaceyjt recently posted..It’s Summer…So Eat Like It!
Thank you so much, Kasey!
Your homemade Chipotle looks awesome! I get my hair done every 8 weeks or so but alternate getting a full
Amber @ Bring In-the-Pink recently posted..Highlights with Grandpa & Grandma
(Oops…accidentally submitted comment too soon!) I alternate getting a full or partial folder every other time to keep it affordable for us.
I usually do a partial. It’s expensive enough, even with just a partial! Yikes!
This looks great girl! I love Chipotle and so does my hubby. This sounds like a perfect week night dinner!
Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life recently posted..Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
LOVE the hair!! It looks so good, I think you should show it off on a Mediterranean cruise or something!
The reicpes look awesome, too! Where did you get the recipes for the salsa and steak marinade?
Christi McGuire recently posted..Wordless Weekend
Those I made up myself, which is why I didn’t link it up to anywhere, like I usually do. The salsa was pretty easy, because it’s so simple. I knew it had the red onion, jalepeno, etc just by looking at it at Chipotle. The steak marinade I did a google search and looked at about 5 different recipes, then just started throwing stuff together!
Wow, this looks awesome! And I’m lovin’ your hair … looking good
Yellow Haired Girl recently posted..Just Quick
i never even noticed your “roots”! love your new blonder layered hair though – beautiful! i try to get my hair trimmed about every 2-3 months. i get it professionally highlighted probably 1-2 times a year and the rest of the time i touch it up myself.
i’ll definitely win some brownie points with this one!
my husband would be in love with this meal too (of course)!
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries recently posted..My New Focus
Wow, I’m impressed you touch up your own hair! Maybe I need to try that!
your hair looks so good! i havent gotten mine done in almost 7 months, its HORRIBLE! I know they are going to end up cutting off so much of the length from split ends, i need to be better about it, haha!
Theresa recently posted..Running in the Heat
This looks so yummy! I’ve never been to Chipotle before, but I’m definitely going to have to find one now. As for my hair, I am *so bad* about it. Like, I probably go ever 5-6 months or so, but I don’t usually do anyting but get it cut. Last month though, I actually just dyed it for the first time in forever, and now my tips are pink, purple, and blue. Love it!
Amber with Slim Pickin’s Kitchen recently posted..Greyson’s Groovy Pancakes
Wow, I love the fun colors! What a cute idea!
YUM, this sounds fantastic! I love Chipotle so I’ll definitely have to try this soon!
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..piña colada sorbet
This is so awesome! My boyfriend and I absolutely love Chipotle and I’ve always thought it’d be so great to find a way to recreate it at home, and you’ve done it! Whenever I go to Chipotle I always get a chicken burrito bowl so I’ll just have to replace the steak with chicken.
Megan@ The Running Doc recently posted..Weigh-In Monday Week 3
Yep, replacing the protein would be super easy!! I usually get chicken, too, but my husband is all about the steak!
My hairdressers brush is FOR SURE magical b/c I can NEVER get it to look as good as when she blows it out. Yours looks amazing! Chipotle is one of our all time faves and that is exactly what I get…steak bowl. Almost every time. I usually add a little of the medium salsa as well b/c I like it spicy. Their guac is one of my faves b/c of all the cilantro. And their chips? don’t even get me started.
You are up for wife of the year I think with this one! 
Cinnamon @ eatpraytri recently posted..Movie Monday: The Amazing Spider-Man
Love your hair!
I have never tried Chipotle (we never had one around us) but they just opened up one in the town over! I can’t wait to try!
Angela @ Health, Happiness & Harmony recently posted..Absolutely Still
This looks delicious!!!
Love love love the new hair color
Perfect for the summer!
Kailey recently posted..You Let Me Down Joe
Thank you so much, Kailey!
Yay for a successful, Brandon approved meal
. That looks absolutely amazing! I just had a chipotle burrito bowl the other day..those things are so tasty haha
Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health recently posted..Birthday Celebrations
Love your hair! I agree about the stylists having magical brushes. They always give my hair so much volume that I can never seem to find once I get home.
I love Chipotle! I hope one comes to Jackson soon!!!!!
natalie @ southern fit foodie recently posted..it’s the little things in life…
I have never been to Chipotle before :’( Sad huh??
You look MARVELOUS Kristen! I absolutely LOVE your hair
You need to go!!
I love the hair! That recipe looks so good! I’ve actually never tried chipotle but I think your homemade version looks so much better! I would much rather try this instead
Danielle recently posted..Totally Paleo Pear and Walnut Salad
Thank you so much, Danielle!!